Mnajdra prehistoric temple : a calendar in stone

Abstract

For the first time in the Maltese islands, it was felt necessary to publish a book on the discovery of Mnajdra Temple's orientation which was mathematically proved in 1979. The aim of the writing is to cover the experience gained in field work and field astronomy which solved a problem never attempted and finalised before. Although this treatise is a simple version of the project, still, the reader will understand every aspect of its approach and logical conclusions. The description of the optics of the temple has been limited in technical terms. The reason for this is to reach the student or layman and to deliver an astronomical principle which was applied to solve the Mnajdra Temple enigma. As one may notice in certain chapters to follow, the logical conclusions were arrived at by simple mathematical reasoning and not by empirical formulae, suppositions or speculations.